Librechat

Navigation

The Interface

When you first log in, you'll see three main areas:

1. The chat area (center): Where you type messages and read AI responses.
2. The left sidebar: Shows your conversation history, navigation options, and account settings.
   • New Chat button: Starts a fresh conversation. Each conversation is saved separately so you can return to it later.
   • Conversation History: A list of your past chats, labeled by topic or date. Click any item to reopen that conversation.
   • Settings / Profile: Found at the bottom of the sidebar — here you can adjust preferences, view your account info, and manage other options.
   • (You can collapse the sidebar by clicking the toggle icon at the top left, giving you more screen space for the chat itself.)
3. The right sidebar (side panel): A context panel with tools and settings relevant to your current conversation.
   • Agent Builder: Create and configure custom AI agents tailored to specific tasks or workflows. Agents can be given a name, instructions, and specific tools to use.
   • Prompts: Access and manage your saved prompt templates. (See the Prompts section below for how to create and use these.)
   • Memories: LibreChat can store key information across conversations, creating a persistent knowledge base. The Memories panel lets you view, add, or remove these stored details.
   • Parameters: Adjust advanced settings for the current conversation, such as the AI's response style (temperature) and other model-specific options. Useful if you want to experiment with how the model behaves.
   • Attach Files: Upload documents or images directly into your conversation so the AI can read and reference them.
   • Bookmarks: Save specific messages or conversations you want to return to quickly, like bookmarking a page in a book.
   • MCP Settings: MCP (Model Context Protocol) allows the AI to connect to external tools and services. This panel lets you view and configure those connections if they have been set up for your instance.
   • Hide Panel: Collapses the right sidebar to give you more screen space. Click the panel toggle to bring it back.

Switching between Models

One of LibreChat's most powerful features is the ability to use different AI models — each with different strengths. To change models:

• At the top of a new or existing conversation, look for the model selector dropdown (it will display the name of the currently active model, such as "GPT-4o" or "Claude 3.5 Sonnet").
• Click on it to open a list of available models.
• Select the model you'd like to use. The change takes effect immediately for any new messages you send.

Saving Prompts and Presets

The Prompts feature lets you save reusable instructions or templates so you don't have to retype them each time. This is especially useful for tasks you do repeatedly, like summarizing meeting notes or drafting a certain kind of email. A Preset saves not just a prompt but also your model choice and advanced settings (like response style or behavior). Think of it as a full "configuration" you can load with one click.

To create a new prompt:

1. Click on Prompts in the right side panel.
2. Click the "+ New Prompt" or "Create Prompt" button.
3. Give your prompt a clear, descriptive title (e.g., "Summarize Meeting Notes").
4. Type your prompt text in the body. You can include placeholders using curly braces, like {topic} or {document}, which you can fill in each time you use it.
5. Click Save.

To use a saved prompt:

1. In the chat message box, type / — a menu of your saved prompts will appear.
2. Select the prompt you want. If it has placeholders, you'll be prompted to fill them in before sending.

To create a new preset:

1. Set up your conversation the way you like it — choose your model and, optionally, adjust settings via the Parameters panel.
2. Open the model/settings panel and look for a "Save as Preset" option.
3. Name your preset and save it.

To use a saved preset:

1. Click the preset menu at the top of a new conversation.
2. Select the preset you saved. Your model and settings will be applied automatically.

Uploading Files

LibreChat allows you to upload documents and images directly into a conversation so the AI can read and respond to them. See #Models for more details on support for different upload formats.

To upload a file:

1. Click Attach Files in the right side panel, or look for the paperclip icon in the message input area.
2. Upload as Text is generally the preferred option for code, text, or CSV files. Some models also support Upload to Provider for image formats, PDFs, Word documents, or Spreadsheets.
3. Select a file from your computer (PDFs, Word documents, images, and text files are commonly supported).
4. Once uploaded, you can ask questions about the file or ask the AI to summarize, analyze, or extract information from it.

Sharing a Conversation

If you'd like to share an interesting or useful conversation with a colleague:

1. Open the conversation you want to share.
2. Look for a Share option in the conversation menu (often represented by three dots ... or a share icon at the top of the chat).
3. LibreChat will generate a unique, view-only link you can send to anyone — even people who don't have a LibreChat account.

Temporary/Private Chats

If you're working with sensitive information and don't want a conversation saved to your history, you can use Temporary Chat mode.

• Look for a Temporary Chat toggle, usually accessible from the new chat options or a menu near the top of the interface.
• Conversations in this mode are not stored after you close them.